The moon quickly replaced the sun as darkness reigned the night. Shadows of dead trees were towering over a black built tent with two flags on each side of the entrance. Inside that tent, a man formally dressed in polyester was sipping a wine, tracing his fingers across a map.
"They are currently staying in Verasin City, Sir Paullo." an assassin dressed in black appeared out of nowhere without even a step of a sound and knelt before the man and bowed his head.
"From how things are proceeding, they will depart from the city tomorrow before the sun rises. Saphan Imperial Family's General, General Mandin, brought ten men to also track them and have arrived in Verasin City twenty minutes ago." he continued without lifting his head.
"We can't let them take that thing. Or else, we won't have the answers we seek." The formal man stared at the broken piece of red transparent crystal placed inside a floating white glass of sphere before issuing an order.
"Let us depart now. Divide the team and assign one team to prepare the trap on Bellium's harbor in the east while the other team will be with me."
"Right away, Sir." and immediately left the tent without once again making any sound.
After the knight disappeared, the man click the watch on his wrist as a white screen appeared out of thin air. He typed a message on that screen and sent it before crouching near a silver steel suitcase on the ground and clicked a small button at its center.
As soon as he clicked that button, the tent immediately shrank and rush inside that suitcase, making him and the floating sphere left standing under the moonlight.
"The truth will soon be realized."
=====
Meanwhile, in a rundown inn, Luna's ears seems to bleed soon as Berin gave him an earful for an hour now. She told him about the boy and how she didn't killed him to repay the favor he gave. Hearing the pathetic exchange of generosity, Berin almost stormed out of the room to find the boy and kill him. However, the point that getting Luna to the sanctuary the priority held his cool and led him to down a glass of water in one gulp.
Luna who remembered Berin's sword earlier at the restaurant expressed his curiosity to his Uncle. "Uhh, Uncle... can I see your sword? Just for a minute. It won't be longer than that I promise."
"What are you planning?"
"I just wanted to take a look at it again, that's all."
Narrowing his eyes that's staring right through her, Berin summoned his sword. With his cape removed, Luna saw that the huge tattoo sword on his right forearm flashed in a silver light before appearing on Berin's grasp. "Not longer than a minute. However, you can't touch it. It's heavy and extremely hot so you can just see it at a distant."
"I have a few questions, Uncle. Do you mind?" her eyes shinning from witnessing the magnificent bluish-white sword.
"What is it?"
"First of all, why didn't it explode when you summoned it now when it did back at the restaurant? And you said it's hot but I didn't feel anything back then when I was close to you and the sword. Also, was it magic with the sword on your whole arm?" scratching her chin lightly.
"First is because I can simply control it. Aside from forging it myself, it is blessed by my demon too. However, I need to train more to completely control it. The demon who blessed it is just powerful. And yes, we called it 'Inking'. One of our Elder who's a Maegi did it for us. As you can see, it is very convenient. " swinging his sword in the air lightly.
"I see. Can I use it?" remembering the blessing as one of the requirements to wield the weapon.
"No. Unless you have fire and heat resistant skills, you won't be able to. Specially if Phemisto won't allow you to."
"Phemisto... is that your demon?"
"Yes." Luna now sitting on the bed, swaying her feet, was swallowed with thoughts. "So, does that mean weapons have some kind of requirement to wield it?"
"High-grade weapons, yes."
"Last question, tehe."
"Sure. Go ahead."
"You said blessed by 'your' demon? What do you mean by that?"
"Well, you can say that most of us are blessed by demons which is why we have these powers. Thanks to them, we can deal with monsters and adapt in this chaotic world."
"But isn't it contradicting? Monsters are part of demons, right? Or they're like one of them... but why did they blessed us with these powers?" If demons are giving them these powers... why? Isn't it their typical goal to cease humanity together with these monsters and drown them with sins? Why are they helping them? What is their real goal? And, who's the demon that blessed her?
Returning his sword back with a flash of light, the black and blue sword tattoo once again appeared on his right arm. "I think all of us have asked this question to ourselves once in a while but it was a very very long time, you see. Even our elders don't know and they lived at most five to ten centuries. But you'll take history lessons, you can try and ask Elder Yosen. He will be your history teacher."
"I guess I can't escape school even in this world." as she laid back on the bed with a flop, feeling the little bit of softness from the mattress.
"What are you talking about?"
"Nothing."
"Well, I'll go get some dinner." and wore his cape again before walking out of the room.
Powers, magic... and demons. Luna felt all of these sound cliché or are things typical in stories but she can't help herself from sparing some thoughts about it, specially now that she's actually here. She swore to herself that when they arrive, she's going to study and train hard, collecting answers on the way.
=====
At the same time the formal man, Berin and Luna are talking, the boy who Luna encountered walked inside a manor located north of Verasin City. Without the cloth hiding his face, the guards he passed by did not bother to stop and block this boy's way.
His steps were in a haste but one couldn't overlook the elegance kept. Without a knock, he bursted through the door and into a large waiting room decorated with royal blue and expensive furniture and decors. "I want you to look for a girl!" he shouted.
"Ezyael?"
"Y-your Highness!" a tall man who had his small hair slicked back on his scalp exclaimed, bowing his head immediately. His name is Panio, the Lord of this city.
"Ezyael, what are you doing here?! Did you sneak out again?" Mandin blurt out. Staring intently at the boy's dirty clothes, the General stood up with his big built, his wide stride directed towards the boy.
"Oh Uncle! You're here, this is perfect! Help me find a girl right now. She..."
Cutting him out, Mandin yank the boy's collar, "What happened to you?" his piercing cold glare made the boy gulp unconsciously.
Already knowing the one and only reaction from his Uncle, he started it slow, "Listen to me 'till the end, okay? And calm down... I don't want you rampaging around this manor."
Mandin released his collar and breathed before continuing, "Explain."
"I found a girl being chased by the guards so I helped her out, thrice, but then she suddenly got angry and attacked me so I fought back. And guess what?" beaming his big doe eyes to the steaming General.
"She beat the crap out of me! HA! Hahaha!" When the boy was merely five years old, mutineers kidnapped the boy and used him to kill the Emperor. Luckily, the power of the General wasn't to be underestimated even when he was younger back then, saving the boy successfully. And so after the incident, he was trained by the General, himself. Because he was royalty and the next figure to wear the crown, his uncle, The General, trained him rigorously everyday. This is for precautionary measures if ever assassinations or war may broke out once again. But, since the boy is still young, he can't perform his fullest potential, thus his Uncle trained him twice as hard and focused to improve his speed for now based on his stature. Therefore many warriors, teens or adults, found it hard to defeat him. Except for the Emperor and the General, of course. So after Luna beat him, he was intrigued and absolutely excited.
However, Mandin who heard that wasn't a tad bit glad at all. He turn his head back to Panio and send him a cold glare.
"Did you just said your men chase a man and a girl with the exact description I gave?"